Bacteria caused fish die-off in Canandaigua Lake

CANANDAIGUA | Researchers say a bacterial infection killed hundreds of fish in one of the Finger Lakes this summer.

The Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester reports (http://on.rocne.ws/1piof7n ) that test results of diseased fish from Canandaigua Lake showed that the bacterial fish infection columnaris caused the deaths.

Canandaigua Watershed Program Manager Kevin Olvany says rapidly rising temperatures in the lake this spring combined with flooding in May that brought new sediment into the lake may have increased bacterial proliferation.

The tests were performed by Cornell University's FISH Diagnostic Laboratory and the Department of Environmental Conservation